St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-09-15
SHORT AND SWEET.
Home Journal.

neither too young nor too old, had rls-
en- one morning and was sitting I'M
dressed on a chair in his bedroom
His minister of the HOUSEHOLD stood be-
fore him holding the royal stockings,
one of which had great hole in the
toe. Now although the minister pre-
scented the hose as adrOitly as possible,
in order to hide that sad defect from
the eyes of the king, and although the
king in a general way thought more of
shining boots than of mended stock
ings, it so happened that in the pres
ent instance the hole did catch the
royal eye. The monarch snatched at
the stocking, to the horror of his min
lister, and plunging his hand right into
it, till his finger with the signet ring
appeared through the hole at the other
end, he said with dOlOrOus sigh
at is all very well for me to be
king, but l am sadly in want of a
queen. Now what should you say if L
married 7"
"Your majesty" said the minister,
"this is a wise and noble thought.
should myself have ventured to sug-
gest it but for the certain anticipation
that it could not fail sooner or later to
fash spontaneously upon the royal
mind"
"That is settled, them" said the
king. "But do you think shall east
ly find a suitable queen 2"
"Not a doubt of it," said the minis
ter.
"Ah, but you must remember that
am not so easily satisfied. If a prin-
cess is to please me she must be both
lovely and wise. And then there is a
special point that | am afraid / shall
think much of. You know how | love
apple fritters, and there isn't cook in
the Kingdom who knows how to make
them to my liking-that is, neither too
pale nor yet too brown, but just nice
and crisp. If l marry wife she must
certainly know how to make apple
fritters I"
The minister in his heart was dis
mayed, but he recovered himself suffi
GENTLY to say, with suitable assurance:
81 am morally convinced that your
majesty will readily find princess
who knows all about fritters, and who
moreover, will be happy to make
them"
"Then let us look for her," said the
king and that very day he set out
with his minister to visit such of the
neighbOring kings as had princesses to
give away, but there were only three
royal maidens sufficiently lovely and
wise to please the king, and of those
none had learned how to make apple
fritters.
'I do not know much about apple
fritters, unfortunately" said the first
princess, when the king prOffered his
inquiry, "but | can make nice little
cheese cakes. Don't you think that
will do"
"No," said the king; 81 have a par
ticular liking for apple fritters."
The second princess was not nearly
so obliging, and said, disdainfully
sect along with your nonsense! /
never heard of princess being asked
about apple fritters."
But it was the third princess who
proved too much for the king, and she
was the loveliest and wisest of the
three. She did not even wait for his
question, but asked him cOOlly if he
understood beating the kettle drum
And when he said he did not, she
would not listen to a word of his suit.
She was sorry, she said, but she had a
particular fancy for the kettle drum,
and had quite settled in her mind that
she would never marry king who
was not proficient upon that instru
ment.
ThereupOn the king drove home
with his minister, and alighting on his
doorstep he said, rather meekly, awe
must hope, then, to get on without a
queen"
However, IL king i'm the long run can
not manage by himself, and when
some weeks had passed he sent for his
minister and told him he had given up
the idea of marrying a princess who
knew about apple fritters, and he
thought he might be very happy with
the first of those royal maidens they
had visited "that one who can make
cheese Cakes" he said. $50 and ask
her to come and be my queen"
But the minister returned from his
mission with the disappointing news
that this obliging princess was no
longer to be had. She had since mar
ried the king of the country where ca
pers grow.
"Then go and ask the second prin-
cess I" But this also proved fruit
less mission. The old king had told
the minister it was too late now, be-
cause his daughter had died, else no
doubt she might have been found will
ing.
The king grew thoughtful and con-
sidered long. But since it was plain
he must have queen, he resolved at
last to send his minister to the third
princess-perhaps she had changed
her mind. And the minister had to go
although he felt almost certain it |
was a useless errand, his own wife
having assured him that, as far as
her experience went, princesses were
apt to keep their opinions. The king
awaited the minister's return rather |
anxiOusly. He remembered about the !
kettle-drum and thought it vexatiOus.
But the third princess received the
minister quite graciously, saying it |
was true she had set her heart on mar
rying a king who could beat the ket-
tle-drum. But ideals did not realize,
and since the king otherwise seemed |
an honest sort of man she would waive |
the point and accept him as her hus
band.
Thereupon the minister dashed back |
at full speed of his horses. The king
embraced him and said he should have
all the stars and garters of the king |
dom. From every window in the pal
ace flag soon was waving and gar
lands were hung about the streets to
grace the wedding, which was solemn
lied with unheard- of splendor.
And for a year and a day the king
and his young queen lived in happiest
concord. The king never thought
about apple fritters, and the queen APP
peared to have forgotten about the
kettle-drum.
One day, however, the king, rising
early, got out of bed with the wrong
leg, and things took to going wrong
in consequence.